India captain Shubman Gill has once again secured the top position in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, six months after first achieving the feat. This return to the summit occurred despite India’s 2-1 series defeat against England. Gill’s performance in the series saw him emerge as India’s leading run-scorer, accumulating 188 runs across three matches.
Gill’s initial ascent to the world’s No.1 ODI batter ranking was in November 2023, following a period of strong form in the format. He had briefly dropped to the second spot in January of this year, when New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell took over the top ranking due to his notable performances during New Zealand’s tour of India.
The recent update to the ICC rankings saw Gill reclaim the leading position after Mitchell relinquished it. This change followed the conclusion of New Zealand’s recent ODI series against the West Indies, during which Mitchell was absent. Gill’s consistent contributions, including a score of 80 in the opening ODI at Edgbaston, were instrumental in his return to the top.
Sooryavanshi’s rise in T20I rankings
In other developments within the ICC rankings, teenage cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made significant strides in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings. The 15-year-old opener climbed 230 places to reach a career-best 48th position. This rise follows his impressive performance in India’s 3-0 series sweep over Zimbabwe.
Sooryavanshi was the leading run-scorer in the series, amassing 151 runs at an average of 50.33. His contributions earned him his maiden Player of the Series award. Notably, he became the first player in men’s T20I history to achieve multiple half-centuries before reaching the age of 16, with knocks including 50 off 19 balls and 81 off 49 balls.
India’s strong presence in the T20I rankings also continued with Ishan Kishan maintaining his No.1 batting spot, holding 910 rating points. Kishan had previously recorded the third-highest batting rating of all time, reaching 916 points after the second T20I against Zimbabwe, trailing only Abhishek Sharma (931) and Dawid Malan (919).
Despite a slight reduction in rating points, Kishan retains a substantial lead over the second-ranked Sahibzada Farhan. Sooryavanshi’s current rating stands at 536 points.
Other notable movements in rankings
Several other Indian players also saw positive movements in the latest ICC rankings. Tilak Varma advanced two places to secure the sixth position in the T20I batting rankings. T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer moved up seven spots, reaching 24th place.
Among the bowlers, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi experienced a significant jump, rising 31 places to 41st in the T20I bowling rankings. This was a result of his strong performances against Zimbabwe. However, Varun Chakravarthy, who missed the Zimbabwe tour due to an injury, saw a drop of three places but remained within the top 10 of the rankings.
Beyond the Indian contingent, Zimbabwe’s Ryan Burl improved by six positions to reach 85th in the batting rankings, while Blessing Muzarabani climbed 10 spots to 26th among bowlers. Additionally, West Indies’ Justin Greaves saw a rise of 21 spots to 48th position among Test bowlers and ninth in the all-rounders’ list in the longest format, following his performance against Pakistan.
Source: indiatoday.in
